Fred Hoiberg Plans To Find More Minutes For Bobby Portis

(CBS) On multiple occasions this season as rookie first-round pick Bobby Portis has done nothing but ride the pine, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has said he would find "meaningful minutes" for Portis eventually.

With big man Pau Gasol staying in Chicago to rest for the second game of a back-to-back Saturday, Portis finally got that chance, logging his most significant playing time of the season. He submitted a quality performance in an otherwise lackluster game for the Bulls, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 107-91 loss to the Knicks.

It now appears that Portis' energizing effort will garner him some more playing time, even with Gasol returning to the starting lineup Monday in a home game against the Nets and all the post players available.

"We think we came up with something, and we'll try to implement it tonight," Hoiberg said Monday morning. "I'll tell you if it works out or not."

Hoiberg has been impressed with Portis' work, even as he's mostly just watched during games.

"He was really good," Hoiberg said of Portis' game Saturday. "A lot of it just had to do with energy and running the floor, he was in his stance. In 23 minutes, he goes for 20 and 11 and missed a couple shots right at the basket that I know he's going to finish. He almost had a 30-point night in the Garden in your real first action. Yeah, we're going to have to do a good job finding minutes for Bobby."